Lake Superior trip planning

Pictured Rocks is a place you should plan to go. You can go to mich.gov and find the parks and recreation area. You can make reservations for the state parks thru there. If you plan on going to more than 1 state park then you should purchase a season pass. I'm not sure of the cost. I know it's $10 if you purchase it when renewing your MI license plates, but may be a little more when purchasing it otherwise. If you get further west - Copper Harbor and Lake of the Clouds is an area to see also.

Campgrounds are not something I know about as we are travelers and not camp ground campers. But as for things to see..

If you are crossing into Michigan at Sarnia, run Rt 23 up the shore of Lake Huron, two stops before Machinaw. One should be short, it is just the memorial to Rogers City people lots on the lakes. The next may take some time at Mill Creek Park there is a water powered mill there and it is interesting.

Machinac Island is mostly tourist trap, but the fort is a very good stop and as you are going across the bridge anyway, you might consider taking the ferry from St. Ignas instead of Mackinaw City. I don't recall it being cheaper, but it is often a nicer ride.

When you get to Sault Saint Marie, as soon as you can, get near the locks and go into the visitor center and look on the board for when ships will lock through. You may want to adjust your schedule. Watching the ships is free. There are two campgrounds on the river. Both are nice. It is kind of a stretch to say that either is walking distance to the locks, but they are not that far. Between the campgrounds and the locks are the Museum Ship Valley Camp, the river walk on E. Water Street and the Tower of History. You can get a single ticket for the ship, the tower and the River of History Museum (closed Sundays), but I am not sure the tower is worth it.

When you are all locked and shipped out, go out 28 & 123 to Paradise, but keep going the Light Station Museum at Whitefish Pointe. When you leave there, go back to Paradise, and turn right to go out 123 to the two (Upper and Lower) Tahquamenon Falls. There is camping there, but we didn't stay. You will need the Michigan sticker (11$) to get where you can park. That sticker is good for all Michigan's parks for the year.

From there, head west to Munising. The Munising Fall is interesting (and free) and then you can go into Munising and pick a boat ride out to the Pictured Rocks.

I am out of writing time now, but this should give you a good start.

Matt

I recommend a visit to Kakabeka Falls, which is 19 miles (30km) west of the city of Thunder Bay. The falls are called the Niagara of the North. The falls have a drop of 40 m (130 ft) on the Kaministiquia River.





Ron

The state parks in Michigan require a passport I think its 10 bucks for a yearly pass you can get it at the gate, and you can reserve some spots in advance. Depending on where your going in the UP and what your interests are. There is a large campground close to Sault Saint Marie right on the lake close to the soo locks, also there is Tahquamenon State park on the eastern end of the UP. farther west there is a koa in Newberry and farther west in Munising there is the city tourist park right on the lake just west of the city, also Grand Marais has a campground close to the lake. Whitefish point houses the museum where some artifacts from the Edmund Fitsgerald are on display, thats close to Tahquamenon falls.